The genetic basis of extra-lobed leaves in ivyleaf morning glory (Ipomoea hederacea)
- 1University of Toronto Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology
Abstract
Intraspecific leaf shape variation is common among angiosperms. Ivyleaf morning glory (Ipomoea hederacea) has become a useful system for studying the genetics and ecology of leaf shape variation as this species exhibits two leaf shapes: leaves with entire margins, and 3-lobed leaves. It is known that these phenotypes are controlled by a single locus, and differ in their ecophysiology, geographic distribution, ecology, and fitness. However, individuals producing leaves with 1-2 extra lobes have also been observed, but the genetic basis of these phenotypes have not been described. To investigate the genetic basis of extra-lobing, we compared phenotypic distributions of leaf shapes of an F2 generation to Mendelian ratios for a single locus trait, and conducted a bulked segregant analysis to uncover quantitative trait loci. Our results suggest that producing extra-lobed leaves has a complex genetic basis and that there are multiple QTLs underlying this phenotype containing potential candidate genes involved with auxin distribution and leaf development. Whether these extra-lobed phenotypes also differ in terms of their physiology and ecology remains unexplored.
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BibTeX
@misc{henry2026genetic,
title = {{The genetic basis of extra-lobed leaves in ivyleaf morning glory (Ipomoea hederacea)}},
author = {M. R. Henry and D. J. Hernandez and M. Li and E. Glasgow and A. L. Peake and J. R. Stinchcombe},
howpublished = {bioRxiv},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.64898/2026.10.27.762295},
url = {https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.10.27.762295v1},
note = {CC BY-NC-ND},
}
RIS
TY - UNPB
TI - The genetic basis of extra-lobed leaves in ivyleaf morning glory (Ipomoea hederacea)
AU - M. R. Henry
AU - D. J. Hernandez
AU - M. Li
AU - E. Glasgow
AU - A. L. Peake
AU - J. R. Stinchcombe
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/27
PB - bioRxiv
DO - 10.64898/2026.10.27.762295
UR - https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.10.27.762295v1
AB - Intraspecific leaf shape variation is common among angiosperms. Ivyleaf morning glory (Ipomoea hederacea) has become a useful system for studying the genetics and ecology of leaf shape variation as this species exhibits two leaf shapes: leaves with entire margins, and 3-lobed leaves. It is known that these phenotypes are controlled by a single locus, and differ in their ecophysiology, geographic distribution, ecology, and fitness. However, individuals producing leaves with 1-2 extra lobes have also been observed, but the genetic basis of these phenotypes have not been described. To investigate the genetic basis of extra-lobing, we compared phenotypic distributions of leaf shapes of an F2 generation to Mendelian ratios for a single locus trait, and conducted a bulked segregant analysis to uncover quantitative trait loci. Our results suggest that producing extra-lobed leaves has a complex genetic basis and that there are multiple QTLs underlying this phenotype containing potential candidate genes involved with auxin distribution and leaf development. Whether these extra-lobed phenotypes also differ in terms of their physiology and ecology remains unexplored.
ER -